Operating means for the plunger of cushion filling machines



March 4, 1952 H. FERRIER ETAL OPERATING MEANS FOR THE PLUNGER OF CUSHIONFILLING MACHINES 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Feb. 24, 19.48

March 4, 1952 Filed Feb. 24, 1948 H. FERRIER ETAL OPERATING MEANS FORTHE PLUNGER OF CUSHION FILLING MACHINES 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 A TTU/QNEYPatented Mar. 4, 1952 OPERATING MEANS FOR THE PLUNGER QE CUSHION FILLINGMACHINES Herman Ferrier, Oakland, and Norman J. Nish, Alameda, Calif..;said Nish assignor to said Ferrier Application February 24, 1948,vSerial No. 10,484

'6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in operating means for cushionfilling machines, and provides a machine with a new type of plunger feedand release, by means of which the plunger can be moved to any desireddegree with each operation and is therefore not limited to a specificmovement as when a rack is used, this invention incorporating a grippingdevice which will grip the pusher rod at any point through engagementand friction, and the pusher rod holder operates in the same Way,whereby it is possible to operate the plunger with full or partialstrokes with equal efiiciency.

The objects and advantages of the invention are as follows:

First, to provide a machine as outlined with asimple in construction andoperation and with a minimum of parts.

In describing the invention reference will be had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a cushion filling machine with myimprovements applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 partly shown in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through the pusher head taken on a line 33of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 showing theself-adjusting holddown.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the pusher operating mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of Fig. 5 partly shown in section.

The invention is applied to a cushion filling machine having a fillerholder having side walls l0 and a bottom consisting of two sections l Iand I2 which overlap, and a pair of cover members 13 and M whichsimilarly overlap, the overlapping portions being free for adjustment ofthe width of the filler holder, the cover members being hinged to thesides as indicated at I5. The bottom members I l and I2 are slidable onthe adjustlng bracket 16 and are adjusted conventionally by means of aright-and-left hand screw I! manually operably by a crank l8, thewidth-oi 2, the holder being adjusted to just snugly receive a cushioncover over the end IS.

The bracket [6 is supported on a head 20 which is provided with asuitable support such as legs 2|, and 22. A foot treadle 23 is pivotedat one end to one of the rear legs "as indicated at 24 and has a treadlepad 25 at the other end.

The holddown for the covers consists of a bar which terminates at oneend in a threaded portion 26 and at the other end in a handle 21 withthe intervening portion 28 being slightly declined toward the handleportion, and the'threaded portion passes through a hole in the bracket29 with a nut on each side, as indicated at 30 and 3| providing forinitial adjustment. These nuts are drawn up quite tight so that theywill retain their relative positions when the crank is turned from theoutward freeing position to the clamping position, and in turning to theclamping position the threaded portion screws down through the nuts,thus drawing the clamp portion 32 down tightly on the covers. Thus theholddown will pass over the hinge portion I5 freely but will graduallymove down to hold the covers in their proper position against theresiliency of the filler material in the filler holder.

The pusher includes thepusher rod 33 which is slidable in bearings 34and 35 and has two keyways extending throughout the length thereof asindicated at 36 and 31, though a single keyway 36 or 31 could .be usedby: having both clutching mechanisms operating in the same plane, thoughthe two at right angles is preferred The pusher head is mounted on theinner end of the pusher rod and consists of amain head 38 withadjustable wings 39 secured in adjusted position, by the wing nuts 40,thus permitting adjustment of the width. of the head in relation to theadjusted width of the filler holder.

The invention comprises the feeding mechanism for the pusher rod, whichconsists of a sleeve 4| which is slidable on the pusher rod and has alongitudinal slot 42 formed in its underside spanned by ears 43 betweenthe ends of which is pivoted a dog 44 as indicated at 45, and this doghas teeth 46 to engage the bottom surface of the keyway, and terminatesat the other end in a lever 41 which is connected to the foot treadle 23through a link 48, bellcrank lever 49 which is pivoted to the support asindicated at 50, and a rod 51 to the foot treadle.

The holding means consists of a pair of ears 52 projecting fromthesideof the bearing- 35 and having a similar dog mounted thereinto-cooperate with-thebottom surface of the side key.-

way 36, and instead of the lever arm on the previously mentioned dog,this dog is secured on a shaft 53 to a point below the support bracket54, a lever 55 being mounted on the lower end of this shaft. A torsionspring is anchored at one end to a stationary member such as the lowerear 52' or to the base 56 with the other end anchored to the shaft 53 tocontinuously urge the dog to engage the pusher rod. A connecting rod 51has one end attached to the lever 55 and terminates at the other end ina hand grip such as a ring 58 and is intermediately supported asindicated at 59. A compression spring fill: surrounds the pusher rod andcooperates between the hearing 34 and sleeve 4| to continuously urge thesleeve with its dog to a retracted position.

The return mechanism for the pusher rod consists of a spring drum 6|mounted in bearings 62 projecting upwardly from the bearing 35, and isprovided with means for adjusting the tension of the spring therein asindicated at 63, and a chain or cable 54 has one end attached to thepusher head as indicated at 65 and has the other end attached to thespring drum and is wound about the drum. A rubber or other resilientcushion 66 is mounted at the front end of the bearing 34 to absorb theshock when the pusher rod is returned through the urgence of the springdrum.

The invention is operated as follows: The head 38 is completelyretracted as shown in the drawings. The filler holder is adjusted inwidth to just permit the cushion cover to be slipped over the end l9.

The holddown 2B is moved around to free the covers and the covers 13 andM are opened. The filler 61, with cushion springs suitably located whenused, is placed in the filler compartment, the covers are closed down,and the holddown is moved into position to clamp the covers in closedposition.

The cushion cover is then slipped over the end 19 of the filler holdercompletely with the closed end 68 against the end I9. The foot treadleis next depressed, causing the dog 44 to engage the pusher rod and forcethe rod with its head 38 forward, forcing the filler into the coverwhile the cover is simultaneously held by the operator. Upon release ofthe foot treadle, the spring 69 raises the treadle and moves the lever41 back to disengage the dog from the pusher rod, with the spring 60simultaneously forcing the sleeve 4i back to a position against thebearing 35, and simultaneously the dog engages the pusher rod and holdsit against return with the dog 44 and sleeve 4|. The next operation ofthe treadle again advances the pusher head and at termination of thestroke the dog 10 again grips the rod and prevents its return.

When the filler is completely compacted into the cover, the ring 58 ispulled to release the dog 18 and the spring drum through the cable 64returns the pusher rod and head back to its retracted position shown,ready for the next operation.

We claim:

1. Means for operating the plunger of a cushion filling machine,comprising, two spaced bearings including a front bearing and a rearhearing, and in which the plunger is slidable; a sleeve slidable on saidplunger between said bearings and having a longitudinal slot formedradially'in the under side; a slot formed radially in a horizontal planethrough said rear bearing; two right angularly related keyways formed thu out the len th ofsai plun er; .9 3 f r each slot and slidable in saidkeyway and cooperative with the bottom and side walls thereof andincluding a feed dog and a stop dog, and each having a toothed engagingface to grip said bottom, wall; a spring for urging said sleeve againstsaid rear bearing; means cooperating between said plunger and said rearbearing for retracting said plunger when said stop dog is released, anda connecting rod for said feed dog for initially causing the feed dog togrip the plunger followed by advance movement of the plunger when theconnecting rod is pulled, with the stop dog spring-urged to grip theplunger in its advanced position, and a connection manually operable forsaid stop dog to release the dog for return of the plunger to itsretracted position through the urgence of said means.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1, a foot treadle, with saidconnecting rod connecting between said feed dog and said foot treadlethrough an interposed bellcrank lever, and a resilient cushion mountedat the front of said front bearing and cooperative with a pusher headmounted on the forward end of said plunger for absorbing the shock whenthe spring drum returns the plunger to its retracted position.

3. A cushion filling machine having a frame, a front bearing and a rearbearing mounted in spaced relation on said frame, a pusher rod slidablein said bearings and having a pusher head at its forward end and havinga keyway formed throughout its length, a sleeve slidable on said pusherrod and having depending ears, a compression spring cooperating betweensaid sleeve and said front bearing for urgingsaid sleeve against saidrear bearing, a dog having pivotal support between said ears andslidable said keyway to function as keying means to maintain the pusherrod against rotative movement and having engaging teeth to engage thebottom wall of said keyway, and having a depending lever extension; atreadle mounted on said frame, and means urging said treadle to a raisedposition, and an operative connection between said depending leverextension and said treadle for initially creating positive engagement-ofsaid teeth with the bottom wall of said keyway due to the urgence ofsaid compression spring and there,- after advancing said pusher rodagainst the urgence of said compression springwhen said foot treadle isdepressed, and spring urged holding means cooperative between saidpusher rod and said rear bearing for securing said pusher rod againstreturn and manually releasable at will to free the pusher rod, and meansfor returning said pushervrod when said holding means dog for release,and spring means for urging said teeth of said second dog intoengagement with said pusher rod. a

5. Means for operating a pusher rod for a cushion filling machinecomprising: a foot treadle, two spaced bearings in which said pusher rodis slidable, two angularly spaced key .75 ways formed throughout thelength. of said to'said treadle and including means for urging saidtreadle to a raised position for releasing said second toothed dog fromsaid rod, whereby depression of said treadle will cause the secondtoothed dog to grip said pusher rod at the bottom of said other keyway,followed by advance of the pusher rod, said means for urging saidtreadle returning said sleeve to its initial position when the treadleis released, and means for returning the pusher rod to its initialposition when said first toothed dog is released.

6; Operating means for the plunger Qiif a cushion filling maohinecomprising; a pusher rod having a head and two right angu-l "relatedkeyways extending throughout the Len hot the pusher rod, two bearingsspaced apa and in whichsa-id pusher rod is slidable, a' sleeve'slidableon said pusher rod between said bearings, a first gripping memberoperating through a slot provided in said sleeve and engaging the bottomwall of one of said keyways for gripping said pusher rod at any point, afoot treadle, and 'a connection from said foot treadle to said firstgripping member for initially causing said first gripping member to gripthe pusher rod followed by advance of the pusher rod, a second grippingmember and spring urging means therefor and engaging the bottom of theother keyway for holding the pusher rod at any point in its advancedposition following each depression of said foot treadle, and} means formanually releasing said second gripping member at will, and means forretracting said pusher rod to an initial position when said mean formanually releasing is actuated, saidgripping means coincidentlycooperating with the side walls of said keyways to retain said pusherrod against rotative movement.

HERMAN FERRIER.

NORMAN J. NISH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATESgPATENTS

